confession
by BAD ROBOT
Summary: chapter 10. please R
1. mission

CHAPTER 0NE: MISSION  
  
Sydney crouched behind a large crate, panting lightly as three armed guards ran past, consumed in their hunt for the intruder; their hunt for her.  
  
She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She placed the headset back in place; it had fallen from her head when she was attempting to escape.  
  
"Vaughn! You there?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
"What in God's name is wrong with our Comm' link?" Vaughn was beginning to panic as he watched the technician fiddle with several wires before answering him.  
  
"Nothing this end! It must be her headset. Maybe she broke it"  
  
"How the hell do we contact her if her head-set is broken?"  
  
Suddenly, her voice sounded through the room.  
  
"Vaughn, pick up!" Her voice was trembling and she was short of breath. "Answer me!"  
  
He grabbed the mike "Syd!" the relief was thick in his deep voice "what the hell happened?"  
  
"Well, I got busted! Now they're trying to kill me. Nothing new!"  
  
"Ok, do you think you can sneak out?"  
  
just then he heard a male voice in the background "there she is! Don't let her get away!"  
  
"Um… better be ready to leave quickly!" she panted as she ran again.  
  
Vaughn flinched when he heard a loud gun shot, followed quickly by a short scream from Sydney.  
  
"Syd! You hurt?"  
  
"Shit. My leg. I'm shot" she growled through clenched teeth "go, get the team out"  
  
"I'm not moving one inch until every single one of my agents is safe! So you better get your butt moving or we're all dead!"  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
He listened carefully to her laboured breathing and painful moans as she tried to run from her attackers on her wounded leg.  
  
There was another gun shot and a loud thud. "Syd?" she didn't answer "SYDNEY!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Sydney ran as fast as she could, clutching her wounded thigh. She flinched when she heard another gunshot. A searing pain exploding in her left shoulder quickly followed it as she crashed to the ground.  
  
She heard Vaughn calling her name over the Comm link but she couldn't answer right away.  
  
"Syd. Answer me God damn it!"  
  
"I can't do it!" she panted, beginning to cry as she dragged herself to her feet again.  
  
"Yes you can Syd. You have to!"  
  
"I can't, I'm shot!"  
  
"Get out now!"  
  
"I'm scared!" she confessed as she threw herself through a door on the right of the long corridor. She clutched her arm as blood flowed freely from the open wound in her shoulder.  
  
"You'll be ok"  
  
"Vaughn…"  
  
"my name is Michael!"  
  
"Michael I'm gonna die in here!"  
  
"If you think like that then yeah you will. Believe in yourself Syd. You can do it. Believe me when I say that I believe in you!"  
  
"You do?" she choked as she ran  
  
"Damn right I do"  
  
"Michael, I see the door. I see it."  
  
"Run. As fast as you can. I'll be waiting for you" Sydney summoned all of the strength she had left and dashed for the door, pain tearing through her leg and shoulder. She heard the guards behind her.  
  
"Stop her!" one shouted.  
  
"SHOOT TO KILL!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Vaughn put on a bullet-proof vest and jumped out of the van. He was in time to see Sydney burst through the door, Tears streaming down her blood splattered face as her eyes locked with his. She was limping badly and clutching her arm against her.  
  
"Oh god" he hissed under his breath as he watched her stumble to the ground as a guard came up behind her.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Her legs went from underneath her and she hit the ground hard. "MICHAEL!" she screamed desperately as she tried to get back to her feet. Her legs were too weak and refused to support her.  
  
~~~~~  
  
His heart leapt when she called his name, her voice full of pain and fear. He grabbed his pistol, and began shooting the guards as they came out of the building. Starting with the one right behind her.  
  
He ran at top speed, gun blazing as he grew closer.  
  
when the other agents began to shoot the guards, he tucked his pistol back in its holster and scooped Sydney into his arms.  
  
He ran back to the van as fast as he could. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as bullets ripped past him. He glanced at Sydney. She was clinging to his shirt with a white hand. Her face was deathly pale as she cried against his shoulder while he ran.  
  
Finally he reached the van had climbed into the back, followed closley by the other agents. When the doors were closed, the van's tyres screeched and it moved away from the airfield at top speed.  
  
He lay Sydney on the floor of the van as the three other team members watched with concerned eyes.  
  
She was covered in blood and couldn't stop crying as the incredible pain surged through her body. Each sob making the pain more intense.  
  
"It's ok" he spoke softly as he knelt at her side, stroking away hair that was stuck to the blood that had splattered onto her face from her shoulder.  
  
"You're safe now" she looked deep into his eyes, knowing he believed every word he was saying. Then everything faded to black and she passed out.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Agent Vaughn" one of the other team members spoke quietly "I know you don't want to hear it, but this has to be said…" he paused, looking at every other agent. "She may die. We can't take her to a doctor or hospital. We'll never be able to explain it. A lot of people would be put in dangerous situations."  
  
Vaughn glared at him "don't you think I know that?" he growled "I'll figure something out" he turned his eyes back to Sydney. He couldn't let her die, he refused.  
  
He couldn't help feeling like he was loosing her before she had ever been his.  
  
"We'll take her to my place!"  
  
"But sir…"  
  
"what? You'd rather we leave her to die?"  
  
"No sir. It's just if anyone finds out…"  
  
"no ones going to find out!" he looked at each and every member of his team. "All I'm doing is keeping a good agent alive. Nothing more! Understood?"  
  
"Yes sir!" they all answered at the same time. Each knowing what would happen if anyone did find out. 


	2. vaughns place

CHAPTER 2: VAUGHN'S PLACE.  
  
Michael Vaughn cradled Sydney's limp body in his arms as he carried her through his apartment, to the bedroom. The other team members followed closely as he spoke to them.  
  
"No one says a word about her being here. Ok?"  
  
"Yes, we know sir. We won't say a thing" all of the team members agreed  
  
"Thanks guys"  
  
"Agent Vaughn" the last agent said, as he was about to leave the building. "I want agent Bristow to pull through as much as the next guy. But this is dangerous. Trust me I won't say a word. Hell I'm an accessory to this. Just be careful or we're all dead!" Vaughn nodded and the man left.  
  
  
  
Once he was alone, He locked the door and returned to the bedroom. He proceeded to carefully remove her combat clothing.  
  
He folded her trousers and placed them on the chair in the corner of the room, along with the rest of her clothing. When he turned, a wave a desire hit him.  
  
Sydney was lying on his bed wearing nothing but her black underwear. He let his eyes roam over her long lean body, starting at herb graceful feet, moving up her slender legs (one needing the attention of a doctor. The injury did not take away the beauty of her figure) his eyes moved slowly across her toned stomach, lingering on her firm bust. He forced him to move his eyes over her elegant shoulders (again, one needing medical attention) and finally focusing on her pale face.  
  
There was still blood smeared up her face from her shoulder wound. , Her mouth was open slightly and she showed no sign of waking up any time soon.  
  
Vaughn fetched a bowl of warm water, some bandages, some disinfectant and a stack of clean towels.  
  
Firstly, he used a towel and the water to clean away the blood from around her wounds. Once he was finished, he took one of the clean towels and poured disinfectant on it.  
  
He placed his hand firmly on her unwounded shoulder, pinning her down. Then he pressed the cloth against the wound in her left shoulder.  
  
Her eyes shot open and she screamed.  
  
"Easy" he soothed her "it's ok, you're safe! I'm just trying to clean you up a little"  
  
"What happened? Where am I?" she asked as he finished cleaning her shoulder wound, putting a medical dressing on it to protect her from infection.  
  
"Don't panic. This is my apartment. Do you remember the mission?" he spoke calmly as he moved his attention to her leg.  
  
"I remember the air base. Getting into the offices, getting the SD-6 ammunition timetable. I transmitted them to you… did you receive…"  
  
"don't worry about that Syd. We got enough to do harm" he smiled "brace yourself" he warned. He saw her take a deep breath and hold it in then he pressed another disinfectant soaked cloth to her wound.  
  
She bit down on her lip and let out a muffled scream. "Sorry" he hated seeing that she was in so much pain. "What else do you remember?"  
  
"I remember that I was half way through the transfer and I heard guards coming. I just grabbed the transmitter and ran. They saw and came after me. Its all kind scrambled after that. I remember, running, falling down, a sharp pain in my leg, you telling me to get out, my shoulder. Seeing the door, running, unbelievable pain. Then you. Above me, lifting me. Then... in a van. Your eyes, that's it"  
  
"That's pretty much everything. You were uncovered, you were shot twice, but you kept going. I'm proud of you Syd!"  
  
She smiled as he finished treating her leg and bandaged it up. "Vaughn?"  
  
"Michael!"  
  
"Right. Where are my clothes?"  
  
"Um, over there" he pointed to the neat pile of clothes on the chair  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, I could hardly treat you with all that in the way!"  
  
"You didn't need to take my vest off!"  
  
"Erm. The strap was in the way!"  
  
"Well at least I have my underwear!"  
  
"Yeah. I was good in that area!"  
  
"Did you say this was your apartment?" he nodded "Vaughn!" he cleared his throat "Michael" she corrected herself "It's extremely dangerous for me to be here!"  
  
"Where else are you going to go? I couldn't… we couldn't leave you there to die! And we couldn't take you to a hospital! If you went home, then you would have endless questions concerning the fact that you are full of bullet holes!"  
  
"But."  
  
"Hey but nothing Bristow! You're going nowhere!" he ordered sternly, softening almost immediately "I think your leg may take longer to heal as you were running on it"  
  
"oh and who made me run?"  
  
"Syd, I wasn't prepared to leave one of my agents, injured in the field"  
  
She smiled "thank you Vau… Michael" she quickly raised her eyebrows and grinned at her slip.  
  
"You do realise that other than that combat uniform, I have no other clothes!"  
  
"Yeah I know," he said, jumping up off the bed and pulling open draws and hunting through them. He removed a pair of dark blue sweat pants, and a grey T-shirt that was tight on him but should fit loosely on Sydney's smaller frame. "You can share my wardrobe for now!"  
  
When Vaughn had helped her into his clothes. (Pointing out that her waist was tiny as he pulled the drawstrings in the pants to make them fit her) he helped her into the bed, and covered her with the sheets. He gave her painkillers and then went to take a shower before going to work. 


	3. confession

CHAPTER 3: CONFESSION  
  
"Why did you risk it?" Sydney asked as they sat together. She had spent all day lying in bed, trying to sleep while Vaughn was away. When he got back, he had cooked their dinner, after which he carried her into the living room. She now lay on the couch infront of the fire. Vaughn was seated on the floor leaning against the couch. He turned slightly to face her, resting his arm on the seat.  
  
"Risk what?"  
  
"Bringing me here?"  
  
"Well, I couldn't take you to the CIA hospital because SD-6 would almost certainly find out about it. I couldn't send you to an SD-6 hospital as you were working on a CIA mission when you got hurt. Too many questions would be raised! So my only other option, apart from letting you die out there, was to bring you here!" he smiled at her "you're lucky that I know first aid but I have to admit I was a little distracted at first!"  
  
"Hmm, could that be due to the fact that you stripped me?"  
  
"Got it in one! Sorry about that."  
  
"Michael, it's extremely dangerous for me to be here you know. Maybe it would have been safer to have left me there"  
  
"no. I was not, and will never leave you behind on a mission"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose it would look bad on your record as a handler if your agent died"  
  
"I wasn't thinking as your handler Syd." He confessed, looking straight into her eyes. He had been thinking about this all day and had decided that he had to tell her everything.  
  
Sydney's heart almost stopped beating as he spoke. 'Wasn't thinking as my handler' she repeated to herself 'please god, let that mean what I think it means'.  
  
While the voice in her head spoke she remained cool and calm on the outside as she looked at him. She tilted her head to one side and furrowed her brow "what does that mean?" she asked innocently  
  
"Well…" he swallowed hard as he turned to face her full on, "Sydney…I…" he cleared his throat, "erm… what I'm going to say is going to complicate the hell out of our situation" he looked down at his hands and took three deep breaths before looking back at her, "Syd, I…I…can't do this!"  
  
"Oh no you don't agent Vaughn! You have my full attention so you are going to say whatever it is you have to say!"  
  
"I care about you Syd, I care about you more than anyone" he blurted out the words before he bottled out again. Looking deep into her eyes, he almost whispered the next four words.  
  
"I love you Syd!"  
  
Sydney's heart felt like it was about to stop as he made his confession. She smiled widely, tears springing to her eyes 'thank you lord' she thought.  
  
"Syd…say something," he looked extremely uncomfortable with her silence "please"  
  
"Michael" her voice was soft and slow "you're right, that does complicate the hell out of our situation." Vaughn lowered his eyes as he sensed the 'let's just be friends' brush off. He felt his heart sink.  
  
Sydney continued "what I have to say will complicate things even more." slowly, he brought his eyes back to hers "Michael, I have wanted to her those words for the longest time…and I want you to know that I love you"  
  
Michael Vaughn let out a short shocked laugh and quickly covered his mouth with a trembling hand as he stared at her. "But you know as well as I do that we can't move on what we now know" she pointed out wisely "we'll just have to make do with knowing it."  
  
"That's gonna be hard! Especially with you being here until you're better." He smiled slowly "wearing my clothes, which by the way look really good on you!"  
  
She grinned back "well, It must be the fact that everything is too big!"  
  
Vaughn twined his fingers with hers  
  
"I herd something at the office today"  
  
"Hmm? What?"  
  
"That the information you transmitted to us was more than enough! We now know the exact date, time and location of the next drop off, meaning that if we can stop that, then SD-6 is vulnerable!"  
  
"That's great!" she smiled and squeezed his hand "at least I didn't get shot for nothing!"  
  
They sat talking for a long time that night. The atmosphere between them seemed to be so much more relaxed now that the truth was out. They both knew that things would be hard from now on, the sexual tension would be unbelievable.  
  
At around 1am, Sydney stretched and stifled a yawn  
  
"Michael?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Would you take me to bed?"  
  
He grinned like a kid about to do something extremely naughty "those words are music to my ears!"  
  
Syd slapped his arm playfully as he leaned in to lift her from the couch.  
  
He covered her with the bed sheets and stood smiling down at her as he stroked her cheek "call me if you need anything, I'll be on the couch" she nodded sleepily and covered her mouth as she yawned again "night Syd"  
  
"good night Michael"  
  
He stood in the doorway for a long time, watching her sleep. The knowledge that she felt the same about him as he did about her made him feel warm inside.  
  
He lay down on the couch, letting out a contented sigh. That night he enjoyed vivid dreams of the take down of SD-6 and what it would lead to for him and Sydney. 


	4. recovery

CHAPTER 4: RECOVERY  
  
***Two and a half months layer***  
  
Vaughn jogged up the steps at the front of his apartment building. He smiled as he walked in through his door.  
  
Loud techno music was blaring out of his stereo (it was the CD he played when he worked out. The beat was great for that)  
  
He smiled as he walked further in the room and saw Sydney running, full speed on his treadmill to the pulsating rhythm of the music. Her hair was loosely tied back and small strands had fallen free of the bobble and were clinging to her sweaty face.  
  
He leaned against the wall and studied her movements closely. Her leg and shoulder seemed to be causing a little pain but not enough to prevent her activity. She closed her eyes against the growing pain and pushed herself to continue.  
  
Seeing this, Vaughn turned the music down, therefore making his presence known. He smiled, as she looked over at him "hey" she panted as she continued to run.  
  
"Hey yourself!" he strode across the room and slowed the treadmill to a stop.  
  
Sydney leaned forward and planted her hands on the knees as she fought for breath. Vaughn inspected the LCD screen on the treadmill then placed a hand on her back lightly, leaning down to look at her.  
  
"Syd" he spoke quietly "you've been running at that speed for over three hours!" Syd swallowed hard and straightened up,  
  
"I'm fine Vaughn!"  
  
"You were shot twice!"  
  
"Yeah, and I'm fine now! Look I'm a little saw but it feels good"  
  
"Don't overdo it Syd!"  
  
"I know! I just want to be ready for the takedown!"  
  
"I know but if you do too much, you'll be confined to a bed again!"  
  
Sydney sighed and rolled her eyes as she reached for a towel and began patting her face dry  
  
"so, good day?"  
  
"Yeah. We took out the communications branch of SD-6 this afternoon!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, there is still a lot of work to do against them but we're well on our way!"  
  
Sydney was smiling from ear to ear with excitement. She laughed out loud and threw her arms around his neck. He was slightly taken aback by this action, but he made the most of it, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her as he laughed.  
  
When she finally pulled back, her deep brown eyes locked with his. He slowly moved closer to her face, parting his lips, ready to kiss her. She tilted her face up to his and brought her hands up  
  
*What the hell are you doing Syd? * She scolded herself *they're not gone yet. If you do this you'll get him killed *  
  
She placed her hand firmly on his chest and push  
  
"NO!" she snapped harshly, softening when she saw the wounded look in his eyes. "Michael, don't think I don't want you to kiss me…because I do…"  
  
"Then let me" he almost whispered as he planted his hands on her hips "please" he began to move in again. Sydney felt her lips begin to tingle as he grew closer. She forced herself to pull away again.  
  
"We can't, it's too dangerous! Like you said; SD-6 isn't gone yet. We'll get careless, then we'll get ourselves killed!"  
  
She was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him. Trying to tell herself that it was possible to hold back what she felt for him, what she wanted him to do to her, and what she wanted to do to him. But she too was itching to be intimate with him, and his hands, firmly holding her hips was almost too much to handle. 


	5. dedication

CHAPTER 5: DEDICATION  
  
Vaughn swatted at his face as he slept the itchy tickle at his nose continued. He breathed in deeply; his nose filling with the gorgeous scent he recognised from his bathroom after Sydney had taken a shower.  
  
Slowly he opened his eyes and there she was, smiling down at him. She had been tickling his nose with her hair.  
  
"Good morning sleepy!" she said softly as he stretched and smiled, wishing she could be the first thing he saw every morning for the rest of his life.  
  
"Good morning" he said, sitting up slowly.  
  
"Here," she handed him a mug of coffee "drink up"  
  
Vaughn accepted the mug and drank slowly as he inspected her. She was wearing his old grey bathrobe. It was way too big for her, she had the sleeves rolled up and it hung off one of her shoulders. Her hair was tied back haphazardly in a scruffy ponytail.  
  
She continued smiling as she attempted to flatten his hair while he drank.  
  
"Anything interesting happening at work today?"  
  
"Argh! Stake out. Nothing special, just a drug dealer." He sighed deeply, enjoying the soothing feel of her hands in his hair. "I'll have such a stiff back tonight!"  
  
"Well! According to Francie, I have magic hands when it comes to stiff backs. So I can help you out there!"  
  
"My, my, you are full of surprises!"  
  
"Hmm, I know. So what do you do while you're sitting around?"  
  
"Listen to ht e radio usually!"  
  
"Same station as on your stereo?"  
  
"Yeah…why?"  
  
"Just asking!" she said with a shrug as she popped her lower lip out slightly. "What time do you start?"  
  
"12noon. And I finish at around six!"  
  
"Well, when you get in, I'll have dinner ready. Then you take a shower and I'll give you a back rub after that! Sound good?"  
  
"Sounds great. I'll look forward to it"  
  
~~~  
  
Vaughn had been sitting in the same place for over three hours and his back was already beginning to argue. He snapped the radio on and leaned his head back, keeping his eyes on the house across the street while he listened to the end of the song.  
  
"Ok, that was affirmation from Savagegarden" the DJ spoke smoothly over the speakers. "We've had a phone call from a very sweet young lady." Vaughn sighed as the DJ continued "she wants us to play a song for a very special man in her life. The lucky guy goes by the name of Michael Vaughn" his eyes shot to the radio in shock as he listened to the rest of the introduction. "This guy is apparently working extremely hard, our caller say's 'Michael, you're her Guardian Angel, and although you can't be together, she wants you to know she loves you very much" Vaughn shook his head dismissing the DJ "so Michael Vaughn, this one's for you. From your lady in red!"  
  
He stared in shock as the song began to play  
  
"No way has she done this!"  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
I try but I can't seem to get myself to think of…  
  
Anything, but you.  
  
You're breath on my face,  
  
Your warm gently kiss I taste…the truth  
  
I taste the truth.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"It's for some other Guy. It has to be!"  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
You know what I came here for,  
  
So I won't ask for more  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"Some other guy with exactly the same name!" he shook his head again, unable to believe that Sydney had done this for him.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
I wanna be with you,  
  
If only for a night  
  
To be the one who's in your arms, to hold you tight.  
  
I wanna be with you  
  
There's nothing more to say  
  
There's nothing else I want more than to feel this way  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
There was only one way to find out.  
  
Vaughn picked up his car phone and dialled the number he knew by heart.  
  
"Sydney Bristow" she answered her mobile.  
  
"Lady in red?" he asked quietly. She laughed lightly  
  
"That would be me! You'll see what I mean when you get back. You like the song?"  
  
"So it was you?"  
  
"Who else?"  
  
"Syd that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done"  
  
"Just wait till you get home. This dedication is just the beginning!"  
  
****  
  
The following hours moved quickly and were filled with thoughts of Sydney.  
  
another CIA agent who had the misfortune of taking the night shift relieved Vaughn at around 6:15.  
  
Vaughn smiled as he got back into his own car and made his way home. 


	6. lady in red

CHAPTER 6: LADY IN RED  
  
Sydney stood in the window of Vaughn's apartment, she smiled as she watched his car pull up outside.  
  
Quickly, she checked the arrangement of the table: two wine glasses, the tall bottle of red wine, a single candle in the centre of the table and two sets of Knife and Falk set out opposite each other.  
  
She heard slow, tired footsteps in the corridor and quickly straightened the dress she had gone out to buy that afternoon.  
  
The door opened.  
  
~~~~  
  
Vaughn's back felt like someone had beaten him with a baseball bat. However, he forgot the pain when he entered his apartment. Sydney was standing before him in a stunning, short, clingy red dress with a plunging neck line and a slit in both sides that went from her knee to the top of her leg.  
  
Her hair was hanging to her shoulders in loose ringlets and she was smiling brightly.  
  
"Wow" was the only word he could manage.  
  
"Glad you like it"  
  
"Yeah… oh and the dress is nice too!" he grinned widely as he came further into the room. "I can safely say that you didn't get that from my wardrobe!"  
  
"No I didn't. I went and bought it this afternoon! Don't worry, I was careful, no one saw me and I paid in cash so they couldn't trace my credit card!" she continued smiling "how's your back?"  
  
He groaned and hung his head down as an answer  
  
"sit!" she ordered, pointing to the table "you hungry?"  
  
"Starving!"  
  
"Good… well not good… but good!"  
  
He smiled warmly at her and she hurried into the kitchen, bringing back their dinner. Each plate contained steak and roast potatoes as well as salad with French dressing.  
  
***  
  
"Syd" Vaughn said contentedly as he leaned back in his chair when the meal was over "that was fantastic! I never knew you were such an expert in the kitchen!"  
  
"I take it that you enjoyed that" he nodded and leaned his arms on the table  
  
"Very much!"  
  
"Good, now go shower while I clear this away!"  
  
"Let me do that!" he began to pick up the plates  
  
"Hey! The sooner you shower, the sooner you get a back rub!"  
  
Not needing any more pushing, Vaughn got to his feet, kissed her lightly on the cheek and hobbled to the bathroom as Sydney took their empty plates into the kitchen.  
  
~~~ 20 minutes later ~~~  
  
Sydney pulled out a small bottle of massage oil she had bought when she went out to get the dress.  
  
"What's that?" Vaughn asked as he walked into the room. Sydney jumped and turned to face him, trying to ignore the fact that he was only wearing a towel around his waist.  
  
"It's for your back, now get into bed" she closed her eyes "I mean, on the bed, lay on the bed!" he smiled, and moved slowly to the bed, making sure that he brushed his damp arm against her.  
  
He groaned slightly as he lay on his stomach. Sydney rubbed the oil into her hands as she let her eyes wonder over his well-sculpted body.  
  
Slowly she began to rub the oil into his back. Her touch Firm and gentle at the same time. Vaughn let out a contented groan from deep in his throat as she worked the tension out of each muscle.  
  
"Where did you learn that?"  
  
"It's just one of my many talents!"  
  
When she was finished, Vaughn turned onto his back and placed his arm across her lap, settling is hand on her hip.  
  
"Francie was right. Those are magic hands!" Sydney smiled and quickly leaned in and brushed her lips against his. When she pulled back, the look on his face made her giggle.  
  
"Syd, I thought you said we couldn't do that!"  
  
"I know, but it's too hard not to. Especially after what you told me."  
  
"I know exactly what you mean!"  
  
With a sly smile, he reached out and pulled her across him to lie on the bed beside him. Smiling from ear to ear, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. His heart sped up when he felt her arms wrap around his neck and back. He parted his lips and traced the line of her mouth with his tongue, awaiting permission to enter.  
  
She moaned lightly as she granted him entrance, planting her foot flat against the mattress and pushing her body against his as the kiss deepened.  
  
Vaughn couldn't believe that this was happening as he felt her hands gripping his back, pulling him closer. His breathing was ragged and rough as he moved his attention to her neck, quickly returning to her lips.  
  
He removed her dress without breaking their embrace. His own arousal was making it hard for him to maintain control, he wanted to memorise every inch of her body for he didn't know how long it would be before he would again be able to be with her like this.  
  
They lost themselves in each other for the next three hours, their senses merged and eventually neither could tell where one began and the other ended and neither wanted to know.  
  
"I love you Syd" he told her breathlessly as he lay, tangled with her body. She rested her head against his, kissing his forehead lightly before speaking. "I love you back!"  
  
Vaughn held her close to him that night; He was overjoyed that she had just let him do those things to her. As he watched her sleep, he couldn't help wondering if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. But how could it be wrong when it felt so right? He didn't know what was going to happen next but he was certain of one thing. He knew that he loved the woman sleeping in his arms more than anything, and if SD-6 had him killed for it, then he would die a happy man! 


	7. back to work

CHAPTER 7: BACK TO WORK  
  
Vaughn felt like pinching himself when he woke the next morning. Sydney was cuddled close beside him with her right arm draped around his waist and her head resting on his shoulder. She was fast asleep. Her hair was more than a little tangled the neat ringlets lost in the night.  
  
Vaughn propped himself up slightly and watched her sleep for a long time, not wanting to wake her but knowing he had to.  
  
He tenderly stroked her temple and cheek causing her to wake slowly.  
  
He smiled down at her "sleeping beauty rejoins the land of the living!" he teased.  
  
She smiled brightly "awakening in the arms of her prince!" she spoke sleepily as she stretched.  
  
"Do you do that every morning?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Stretch like a cat?"  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know!"  
  
He laughed softly "yeah, actually I would!"  
  
With a slight grin, she pulled him down to kiss her. As the kiss deepened, Vaughn began to think about the events of the night before, wanting to do it all again, he pulled her closer to him.  
  
The phone, which rested on his bedside table, began to ring.  
  
"Ignore it" he instructed as he continued to kiss her  
  
"But… what if it's Devlin?" she panted between kisses.  
  
Vaughn cursed and picked up the phone.  
  
"This better be good!"  
  
He smiled as he traced her jaw line with his finger while confirming her suspicion.  
  
"Yes sir, I know where she is…she was hurt during the last mission… shot twice…I did sir…no sir, we need to sort that out…yes she knows about that!" the conversation continued for a few more minutes, then he put the phone down.  
  
"Now, where were we?"  
  
"Oh no you don't! what was all that about?"  
  
"Devlin, wanting to know if I had 'heard' from you, what happened to you, if we had a story ready for Slone, and if I had told you about when we took out the communications branch of SD-6" he kissed her again quickly and buried his face in her neck. "I really don't want to get out of bed today!"  
  
"I bet I can make you get!"  
  
"What, besides pushing me out?" she nodded  
  
"Ok, do your best!"  
  
Sydney climbed out of the bed and stretched again, noting his eyes watching her hungrily. She smiled at him and headed for the door.  
  
"Hey," he called after her "where are you going?"  
  
"To take a shower! Care to join me?"  
  
Vaughn went to jump out of bed, but he stopped himself when he realised what she was doing. "Erm, I think I'll just lay here for a while"  
  
"suit yourself"  
  
He heard her enter the bathroom, turn on the shower and close the shower screen. He closed his eyes and his head was filled with images of her showering. Finally, he could take no more and jumped out of bed, ran to the bathroom and jumped into the shower behind her.  
  
"Ok, you win!"  
  
~~~  
  
Later that day, Sydney called Francie and explained that she hadn't been in touch because she had been hurt on one of her work trips but would be back today to tell her the whole story.  
  
Vaughn watched her as she packed her combat clothing and the red dress into a bag he had loaned her.  
  
He held her tightly before she left his apartment.  
  
"I love you" he whispered, she replied with a gentle kiss and a warm smile, then she was gone.  
  
~~~  
  
Francie stared at Sydney, open-mouthed as her friend recounted her adventure.  
  
Before Sydney had left Vaughn's they had worked out stories to tell her friends and slone.  
  
"I tried to get to the alarm bell, but one of the guys saw me and shot me in the leg. I made the mistake of trying again and he shot me in the shoulder, I think I passed out after that!"  
  
"Jesus Syd! You're lucky he didn't kill you!" Francie exclaimed as she inspected the angry wound on her friends shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it"  
  
~~~  
  
Jack met with Sydney in the SD-6 parking lot, and walked with her to Slone's office.  
  
"I sent her on a training mission" he explained to Slone, "something went wrong and she got hurt. I took her to the SD-6 safe house nearby and treated her wounds. I told her to stay there until she was feeling stronger"  
  
"why did I not hear of this…'training mission'?"  
  
"You were not in the offices sir! I believe you were in Madrid."  
  
"Sydney," Slone leaned forward slowly "how are you now?"  
  
She smiled shyly "saw. But well enough to work!"  
  
He seemed to accept their explanation, and dismissed them.  
  
That evening as Sydney was sitting talking to Francie, the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Joey's Pizza?"  
  
"Sorry, you have the wrong number!" 


	8. assignment

CHAPTER 8: ASSIGNMENT  
  
Sydney walked through the old warehouse; she smiled when reached the chain link fence. Vaughn was standing in his grey suite, reading from a stack of papers. He hadn't yet noticed her presence.  
  
"You rang?"  
  
Vaughn jumped and turned to face her. He grinned as soon as he laid eyes on her. He placed the papers on the crate behind him and held his arms out to her  
  
"Business first Michael!" she scolded him softly "you should know better!"  
  
"Yeah, but it was worth a try!" he smiled as he watched her sit on the table across from him. He leaned back against the crate.  
  
"So, did Slone buy the cover?"  
  
"I think so! He didn't really say much. Just asked me if I was feeling better"  
  
"So you think he bought it?" she nodded as she crossed her legs on the tabletop.  
  
"I met up with your father today!"  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah. Apparently there is a New Years party at the SD-6 offices. Know anything about it?"  
  
"Marshall said something about it today. What's the fuss about it?"  
  
"That's when we're going to take them out. Actually you do the hardest bit."  
  
He turned and picked up a small black object from beside the Carte.  
  
"You go to the party, with this as your date!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"This little baby, is our primary weapon!" he smiled proudly at her.  
  
"From what Jack told me about these parties, there is a period of 30 seconds when the lights go out at exactly midnight. That's when you make your move. Just hook this up to the main computers and type in the first code. 8694#." He paused and watched her as she ran the code through her head to memorise it. She nodded and he continued "that code sets free a virus. This will travel to every single server connected to the system, all around the world. The virus deletes every single piece of data stored on the server. Without this data SD-6 cannot function. Once the virus is released, you used the second code: 3682#. This arms the explosives. There is enough C4 in this thing to blow the whole building! So when you have set it. I want you to get yourself out of there along with Jack. When you are at a safe distance. Use this to detonate the explosive"  
  
He held up a small trigger that was disguised as a key ring "got it?"  
  
Sydney nodded and repeated her instruction out loud "8694# to unleash the virus then 3682# to arm the bomb"  
  
"That's right. We'll be patched into the security system, so I'll be keeping my eye on you."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind"  
  
"Oh, you'll need these" he pulled a small vial out of his pocket and handed it to her. When she held it up to the light, she could see a pair of contact lenses; they were tinted lime green. She glanced back at Vaughn, a question in her eyes. He answered before she could ask. "They're night vision lenses. So you can see what you're doing in the dark."  
  
"Marshall would love these!"  
  
"Syd, try not to think about them when…"  
  
"When what? When I blow them up?"  
  
"Syd!"  
  
"What if I can't do it? What if I set it all up then I can't press the trigger?"  
  
"In that case, Jack will do it."  
  
He smiled softly as she lowered her eyes to her hands  
  
"Michael, I have people in there who are friends. I can't just explode a bomb in their face!"  
  
He came and sat next to her on the table, slipping an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"I know it's hard Syd. But it has to be done!" she didn't answer, only sighed deeply as she stared at her hands. He kissed her cheek lightly "I've missed you today"  
  
She slowly brought her eyes to his and smiled warmly before kissing him.  
  
"When this is all over," he said tenderly as he hugged her "I'm going to take you out to the most public restaurant in town!"  
  
"I'd like that!"  
  
"Soon" he assured her as he kissed her again "very soon!"  
  
~~~~  
  
"Where'd you run off to so late?" Francie asked when Syd got home at almost midnight.  
  
"Just out. Were you waiting up for me?" Sydney hung her jacket u behind the door and kicked her shoes off.  
  
"Why Sydney Bristow!" Francie said with a big grin "have you been with a man?"  
  
"What makes you say that?" Syd asked with what she hoped was a confused expression.  
  
"Your lipstick is smudged!" she smiled as she watched her friend try to wipe away the evidence. "So who is he?"  
  
"A guy!"  
  
"Well I'm glad it's a Guy Syd! But tell me about him!" Sydney only smiled "come on! Do I know him?"  
  
"No you don't! I work with him"  
  
"I'll bet you do! How long have you been seeing him?"  
  
"A few months"  
  
"slept with him yet?"  
  
"Good night Francie!" she said with a smile as she headed for her bedroom.  
  
"That's a yes if I ever heard one! What was it like?"  
  
"Good night Francie" she repeated, louder than the first time, as she entered her room and closed the door behind her.  
  
She leaned her head against the cool wooden door as she answered Francie's question under her breath.  
  
"Amazing" 


	9. party time

1 CHAPTER 9: PARTY TIME  
  
Sydney came out of her room at 9pm on the night of the party. She had been getting ready for over two hours.  
  
Francie was sitting in the living room waiting for her work friends to pick her up.  
  
"Well?" Syd asked as she stood in the doorway. She was wearing a tight black dress, high heels and carrying her handbag, which contained the device she and Vaughn referred to as the "robot".  
  
"Wow Syd!" Francie exclaimed as she got up out of her seat and walked over to her best friend to inspect her more closely, indicating for her to turn around. Sydney did as her friend asked and smiled when she found herself standing face to face with her roommate.  
  
"Let me guess, Mystery man is gonna be there?"  
  
"No actually, he's not!" she smiled and lowered her eyes "but I'll hopefully see him after the party"  
  
"Ah, so I won't wait up then!"  
  
~~~  
  
"Sydney" Slone smiled as she entered the room. He kissed her cheek and led her further into the room to mingle with rest of the SD-6 agents.  
  
~~~  
  
Vaughn sat infront of multiple security monitors. Sydney looked amazing as he watched her talking to Marshall. She had dyed her hair that same colour it had been when they had first met: bright red.  
  
It was growing close to midnight and Vaughn was getting restless, and he could see that Sydney was in the same situation.  
  
"Marshall, would you excuse me?" she smiled politely "call of nature!"  
  
"Oh, of course!" Marshall smiled as she handed him her glass.  
  
"Watch this for me?" he nodded, then she left.  
  
As she walked away, she hunted the room for Dixon, but she couldn't see him.  
  
As she passed Slone, she asked him if her partner was there  
  
"No Syd, he had to take care of things at home".  
  
Before she left the room, she cast a lingering glance at the security camera, knowing that Vaughn was watching her.  
  
She paced in the hall outside the room where the party was being held.  
  
She glanced at her watch and heard the party goers begin to count down.  
  
"10, 9, 8, 7"  
  
She pulled the vile out of her bag and slipped the night vision contact lenses into her eyes and re entered the room.  
  
"6, 5, 4,"  
  
She moved closer to the door, which led to the main computer equipment room.  
  
"3, 2, 1!"  
  
The lights went out as ppl began to cheer. Sydney dived into the room and pulled the "robot" out of her bag. Linking it up to the main computer as quickly as she could.  
  
~~  
  
Vaughn stared at the black security screens. "Can we get anything?" he asked the technician.  
  
"I'm trying sir"  
  
Suddenly a single screen flicked to a green image. He could see Sydney crouched by the device he'd given her.  
  
"Come on Syd!" he urged her under his breath.  
  
~~  
  
Sydney typed in the first code. Red numbers came up on the screen as she entered them.  
  
8694#. The machine beeped and all the computer screens around her turned bright blue then shut off.  
  
"Ok" she breathed and began typing in the second code.  
  
3682#. One word flashed up on the screen in red letters that made her heart jump into her throat:  
  
ERROR  
  
"What?!" she hissed as she started to re-enter the code  
  
3682#  
  
ERROR  
  
Sydney was beginning to panic. The lights were about to turn back on in about 10 seconds and she still had to get out and away from the door to avoid suspicion.  
  
She glanced at the camera behind her  
  
~~  
  
"What's wrong with it?" Vaughn ranted  
  
"I don't know sir! The prototypes never did this!"  
  
"Well it's doing it now!" he turned back to the screen to see Sydney glance at the camera, a panicked look on her face.  
  
"Come on Syd, try again"  
  
~~  
  
Syd thought of all the possible things that could be wrong with it. For some reason, she remembered her video player at home. It never worked when she wanted it to; usually all it took was a good smack to get it working.  
  
She shrugged and smacked the device hard on the top. Only after she had done this did she remember that it was packed full of explosives and she could have just blown herself sky high!  
  
She swallowed hard, tensed her stomach, and typed the code.  
  
3682# the machine beeped, and one word flashed on the screen  
  
ARMED!  
  
She sighed and grabbed her bag "Bad Robot!" she scolded the device before she left the room as fast as she could. Once back in the main room and away from the door, she removed the contacts just as the lights came back on. Everyone around her was cheering.  
  
Slone kissed her quickly "Happy New Year Sydney"  
  
She smiled up at him "Happy New Year" she glanced over his shoulder and saw her father signal to her to leave the building. "Look, I hope you don't mind but I'm going to have to leave! I have a date!"  
  
"That's fine. Have a good night" slone patted her shoulder then she jogged across the room to Marshall.  
  
"Hey. I'm leaving now: I have a date. Happy New Year." She turned to leave but had a pang of guilt as she thought what would happen to the friendly tech if her stayed. She turned back to him "oh, I almost forgot. I think there is anther Monkey documentary on tonight."  
  
"Really?" he looked excited. "When?"  
  
"I'm not too sure but I know it was late! It totally slipped my mind"  
  
"oh well. Erm, Do you think slone would mind if I left?"  
  
"I'm sure he'd understand!" she smiled as she watched the excitement dance across his face. "Ok. Thanks for telling me Syd"  
  
"no problem!"  
  
She headed away then and watched as Marshall headed out of the door in a hurry, not wanting to miss the documentary.  
  
She smiled to herself as she joined her father in the lobby.  
  
"Ready?" he asked. She shook her head and handed him the trigger. He understood exactly what she meant by it. He had suspected that she wouldn't have been able to bring herself to do this.  
  
When they were a safe distance from the building they crouched behind Jack's car. He placed a protective arm around his daughter and she hid her face in his chest. He squeezed the key ring and there was a deafening explosion, the heat from the flames was unbelievable.  
  
The two agents stood slowly, staring at the burning building  
  
"it's over" Sydney spoke quietly, she was slightly shocked by what had just taken place "they're gone!"  
  
"We don't know that yet!" Jack pointed out wisely. He turned to his stunned daughter and pulled her round to face him.  
  
"Listen to me. Go home! Stay there. I'll get in touch with the CIA and find out if it is all truly over. We'll get in touch with you when I know more. Either Agent Vaughn or myself." Sydney nodded and took her car keys out of her bag.  
  
As she drove home she didn't know weather to be pleased or upset about what had happened that night.  
  
At least she knew that Marshall and Dixon hadn't been in the building. 


	10. guilt

CAHPTER 10: GUILT  
  
Sydney walked into the apartment she shared with Francie. It was dark and empty. Obviously, her friend was still at her party. Syd turned on a single lamp in the living room and sat down on the sofa. She couldn't believe what had just happened. There was a chance that she would be free. Free from the stress of sneaking around, Free from the fear of being caught and the fear of letting someone down. She was grateful for Francie's absence as she sat in the dimly lit room for a long time and eventually, she lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes.  
  
There was a soft knock at the door, which was repeated after a short pause. Sydney got to her feet and walked over to answer it.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled the door back. Standing right infront of her, looking more than a little angry was the last man she expected to see.  
  
He placed a hand on the wooden door to prevent her closing it in his face.  
  
"I trusted you Sydney!" he hissed. "You betrayed me!"  
  
Sydney was glued to the spot. She couldn't move as the fear seized control of her body.  
  
Slone smiled and evil smile as he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "Don't worry, my little mole. It will all be over soon!"  
  
Just then, all of the windows in her apartment exploded inwards as SWAT members threw themselves inside with her. Sydney turned slowly as they surrounded her. There was a loud noise, and a flash of machine gun fire aimed at her midsection.  
  
Sydney sat bolt upright, clutching at her stomach. She was out of breath and sweating. Still holding her stomach, she ran into the bathroom and removed her dress. She stood infront of the mirror in her underwear and inspected her stomach. She was so sure she had been shot, but there was nothing there. She let out a sigh of relief then splashed her face with cold water before walking slowly into her bedroom once there she replaced the dress with a pair of faded jeans and a baggy pullover. She tied her bright red hair back loosely with a bobble from her bedside table.  
  
She went back into the living room and curled up on the sofa again, only this time she wouldn't let herself sleep.  
  
It was 4am when Francie got back. She was slightly drunk but she seemed to sober up as soon as she saw her friend looking pensive and scared.  
  
"What happened?" she asked as she came to sit next to her on the sofa.  
  
"There was an accident" she spoke quietly, wanting to tell her friend everything that had happened. "There was a bomb!"  
  
Francie's face was filled with concern for her friend "at the bank?"  
  
"No we had rented out a different building so we could get more people in. someone had planted a bomb there." She looked sadly at her friend "the whole building exploded!"  
  
"How did you get out?"  
  
"I went for some air and while I was out, it just blew sky high." Francie didn't know what to say. She leaned on her friends hiked knees and hugged them. "My friends were still in there. As far as I know only me, my father and two others weren't in the building whet it happened"  
  
"Oh, Syd." Her heart went out to her. Then a thought struck her "was he at the party? The guy you were with a few nights ago"  
  
Sydney lowered her eyes "I don't know" she lied. She knew Vaughn was safe. He had been in another building.  
  
Francie pulled her friend into her arms as Sydney began to cry. She cried for all the lives she had just helped to destroy, and for all the lies she had to tell about it.  
  
After holding her for a long time, Francie helped her get ready for bed. She tucked her in and brought her a large mug of hot chocolate! Sydney was grateful to have a friend like her around.  
  
Francie called Will and told him what had happened to Syd, and he was round in a blink of an eye.  
  
He pushed his head around her door and smiled warmly when he saw the colour of her hair. She looked like his sister.  
  
"Hey there red head!"  
  
Sydney tried to smile, but more tears escaped her eyes. She was overcome with guilt.  
  
Will moved quickly across the room and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and cried harder.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey, it's alright!" he held Sydney's face to make her look at him. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and her lower lip was shacking. "Just be glad that you got out!"  
  
"But my friends…"  
  
"are gone" he finished for her bluntly! "I know it's hard but it's not your fault. * If only he knew! *  
  
"Will, I lots friends tonight! And possible the man I'm in love with!" she knew she hadn't lost him but she had to make them believe that she thought she had!  
  
Will pulled back slightly but kept his arms around her "what do you mean?"  
  
"I have been seeing this guy I work with. I don't know if he was in the building when it went up, so I don't know if I've just lost him"  
  
Will felt his heart sink, hearing that she had been in love with another man. He was extremely jealous of who ever this guy turned out to be. But he hoped, for Sydney's sake that he had gotten out alive.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be ok Syd. Just hang in there and he'll contact you."  
  
Will stay with her until she finally feel asleep three hours after Francie had gotten home.  
  
He walked into the living room and sat down next to Francie who was nursing quite a big hangover.  
  
"How is she?" she asked quietly as he sat down.  
  
"She's upset." He paused and looked over at Francie "do you know anything about this …guy?"  
  
"Yeah but not much!" she sighed "I hope he's ok, it would be terrible for Syd if she lost another man she cares about!"  
  
All will could do was nod.  
  
For the next four days, they did all they could to cheer her up. She never left the house and there was news of the explosion all over the papers and on the TV. Every time she saw something about it she would be overcome by powerful feelings of guilt.  
  
On the fifth day after the party she had still heard nothing from either her father or Vaughn. She was beginning to worry that something had gone wrong, and SD-6 was still operating.  
  
Another week passed and she was starting to feel better about what she had done. She kept telling herself that the lives that were lost at the New Years party were not near as numerous as the lives taken by SD-6 over the years. And what she had done had hopefully put a stop to any more murders.  
  
The action had needed to be taken. If not by her, then someone else would have done it.  
  
On the 17th of January, she was sitting in the living room with Francie next to her on the couch. They were sitting close to each other. Francie had her arm around Sydney as she had done ever since the night of the explosion.  
  
"So, have you heard from him yet?"  
  
Sydney lowered her eyes and shook her head no.  
  
"I'm sure he's ok Syd"  
  
"Me too" she looked back into the eyes of her best friend and found that she was smiling warmly "I just wish he'd call!"  
  
Francie hugged her tightly "he will!" she reassured her, hoping she sounded convincing.  
  
They had been sitting there another hour when someone knocked at the door. Sydney was instantly reminded of the dream she had had right after she had completed her mission.  
  
She held her breath as Francie opened the door.  
  
"Can I help you?" Sydney couldn't hear what the person at the door was saying. She assumed that it was one of Francie's friends when she laughed loudly and invited their visitor in.  
  
"Who is it?" she called as she got to her feet and made her way to the hall.  
  
Francie came round the corner, smiling widely at her.  
  
"Francie?" she was a little confused "who was at the door?"  
  
Francie didn't say a word, just held her hands out to her right. And their guest stepped around the corner.  
  
She froze when she saw who it was. Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't speak. She was shocked as she stood staring at him.  
  
"Hey Syd" he said in a deep voice that sent a shiver down her spine.  
  
She tried to greet him but the only sound she could make was a strangled squeak.  
  
He was smiling brightly as he watched her. "You did it!" he informed her cryptically. "We won!"  
  
Francie was smiling at Sydney as she stood behind Vaughn.  
  
"Are you sure?" she managed to whisper and he nodded.  
  
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't!" then he took two long steps and pulled her into his arms. She began to cry as he kissed her passionately.  
  
Francie smiled even wider as she watched them embrace. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed "finally" she whispered under her breath as she watched them.  
  
Maybe now, Sydney would get that little bit of Happiness they all knew she deserved.  
  
  
  
And they all lived happily ever after  
  
THE END…  
  
Or is it? 


End file.
